Thermacetogenium phaeum consortium for the production of materials with enhanced hydrogen content

ABSTRACT

An isolated microbial consortium is described that includes a first microbial consortium having  Thermacetogenium phaeum  to metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate into metabolic products comprising an acetate compound. The consortium also includes a second microbial consortium having a methanogen to convert the acetate compound into a final product that includes methane. Also, a method of increasing production of materials with enhanced hydrogen content. The method includes isolating  Thermacetogenium phaeum  from geologic formation water, culturing the isolated  Thermacetogenium phaeum  to increase the  Thermacetogenium phaeum  population, and introducing a consortium of the cultured  Thermacetogenium phaeum , which may include spores of  Thermacetogenium phaeum , into a hydrocarbon formation containing a complex hydrocarbon substrate.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/330,759, filed Jan. 11, 2006, entitled “THERMACETOGENIUM PHAEUM CONSORTIUM FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS WITH ENHANCED HYDROGEN CONTENT,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the development of microbial consortium of microorganisms that can be used in formation environments to enhance metabolism of complex organic substrates (e.g. oil) into simpler compounds, such as methane. The invention also relates to methods of isolating microorganisms such as Thermacetogenium phaeum from their native environments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The United States and the rest of world are increasingly relying on natural gas for heating homes and buildings, generating electric power for residential and industrial applications, and as a feedstock for a variety of synthetic organic chemicals. Future demand for natural gas could grow even more dramatically as more new cars and trucks use electric power. Natural gas will likely play a major role in generating the electricity used in charging vehicle batteries, and supplying the methane and hydrogen used in operating vehicle fuel cells. Because the already high demand for natural gas is expected to soar, concerns about supply are growing.

One proposed solution is to build more long haul infrastructure to move natural gas where demand is greatest. Because natural gas is a gas at room temperature, there are more challenges in transporting it than for fuels like oil, coal and gasoline. The current leading proposal is to cool the gas to temperatures where it liquefies and transport the liquid natural gas (“LNG”) on refrigerated tankers. At the destination port, the LNG is warmed back into a gas that gets fed into the existing gas pipeline infrastructure. This proposed solution has been criticized for a number or reasons, including the significant cost associated with condensing and transporting LNG. There are also serious safety concerns about accidents and sabotage to the LNG infrastructure. These concerns have lead to strong local opposition to proposed sites for building a LNG port. In addition, some have argued that importing LNG only increases dependence on foreign sources of natural gas from politically unstable regions.

Another proposed solution is to explore and develop more sites for local natural gas production. In the United States, one site believed to contain large, untapped reserves of natural gas is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (“ANWR”) in Alaska. But proposals to develop this site, as well as other sites in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, have been strongly opposed by environmental groups. Thus, development of new sources of local natural gas also faces significant limitations.

One way to avoid the problems with importing natural gas and developing new sites is to enhance gas production from existing local sites. One promising technology for doing this is microbially enhanced methane production. This technology uses microorganisms to metabolize complex organic substrates such as oil or coal into simpler compounds like methane and hydrogen. Stimulating the right indigenous microorganisms or introducing the right microorganisms under the right conditions to “retired” oil fields and coal deposits that are too deep to mine could turn these sites into productive new sources of domestic natural gas.

Because only a small fraction of the oil and coal was recovered from these sites while they were operating, the amount of hydrocarbon substrate still available for microbial conversion is enormous. The mature coal mines in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, for example, are still estimated to have 1,300 billion short tons of unmined coal. If just 1% of this coal could be microbially converted into natural gas, it could supply the current annual natural gas need of the United States for four years. This story could be repeated at many other mature coal and oil sites across the country.

But the technology of microbial natural gas generation is still in its infancy. Many of the microorganisms require an anoxic or microoxic environment and are difficult to study in a conventional microbiology laboratory. While metabolic pathways have been postulated for breaking down a complex hydrocarbon substrate into natural gas and hydrogen, few specific microorganisms that are involved in methanogenic hydrocarbon biodegradation have been positively identified. The “first bite” microorganisms, which start the initial breakdown of complex hydrocarbon substrate into smaller molecules, have been particularly elusive.

Thus, there is a need for identifying microorganisms involved in biogenic gas production in underground hydrocarbon formations such as coal mines and oil fields. The identity of these microorganisms will provide valuable insight into how complex hydrocarbons are converted into fuel gases like hydrogen and methane. This insight can lead to methods of isolating, cultivating, and stimulating the microorganisms to make fuel gases at commercially viable production rates. These and other issues are addressed by the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention include isolated microbial consortium. The consortium include a first microbial consortium that has Thermacetogenium phaeum to metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate into metabolic products comprising an acetate compound. The consortium may also include a second microbial consortium that has a methanogen to convert the acetate compound into a final product comprising methane.

Embodiments of the invention may also include methods of increasing production of materials with enhanced hydrogen content. The methods may include the steps of isolating Thermacetogenium phaeum from geologic formation water, and culturing the isolated Thermacetogenium phaeum to increase the Thermacetogenium phaeum population. The methods may further include introducing a consortium comprising the cultured Thermacetogenium phaeum into a hydrocarbon formation containing a complex hydrocarbon substrate.

Embodiments of the invention still further include methods of isolating Thermacetogenium phaeum from a native consortium of microorganisms. The methods may include the steps of removing formation water from an underground formation, where the formation water includes the native consortium that includes the Thermacetogenium phaeum. The methods may also include heating the formation water to about 120° C. or more, where the Thermacetogenium phaeum, including its spores, survives the heating process. The heating may cause at least some of the Thermacetogenium phaeum to form spores (i.e., to sporulate).

Embodiments of the invention still also include methods of stimulating biological activity of Thermacetogenium phaeum in a geologic formation. The methods may include the steps of detecting the Thermacetogenium phaeum in the geologic formation, measuring one or more environmental characteristics of the geologic formation, and determining a composition of carbonaceous material in the formation. The methods may also include adding an amendment to the formation based on the measurements of the environmental characteristics and the composition of the carbonaceous material.

Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, combinations, and methods described in the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic of a three-stage anaerobic conversion of a complex hydrocarbon substrate to a material with an enhanced hydrogen content;

FIGS. 2A-B are flowcharts illustrating steps in methods of isolating a consortium of microorganisms and preparing a consortium that includes microorganisms according to embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of steps in methods of stimulating biological activity of Thermoacetogenium Phaeum according to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 4A-B are graphs of the accumulation of acetate and methane (respectively) in a formation water sample;

FIG. 5 is a TRFLP banding pattern of DNA samples taken from consortium microorganisms; and

FIGS. 6A-B are graphs of acetate concentrations in autoclaved formation water, and unamended incubations, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Thermacetogenium phaeum (“T. phaeum”) is identified as a “first bite” microorganism that can metabolize part of a complex hydrocarbon substrate such as crude oil into a fermentation end product such as acetate (e.g., acetic acid) or formate (e.g., formic acid). Thus, T. phaeum appears to play dual roles in a metabolic process of converting complex hydrocarbons to methane: The microorganism appears to be responsible for the hydrolytic fermentation of the starting hydrocarbon to an intermediate, and also for converting that intermediate into acetate. After this, all that remains is to convert the acetate into methane with a methanogen. The acetate can be converted directly to methane. Alternatively, a syntrophic microorganism can convert the acetate to hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide, which is utilized by hydrogen utilizing methanogens. Thus, a process for metabolizing a complex hydrocarbon into methane has been discovered that requires only two or three species of anaerobic microorganisms.

The discovery of a two member consortium for biogenic gas production means that processes of stimulating biogenic gas production may be simpler than previously thought. Metabolic processes that require participation from several species of microorganisms increase the chances for a bottleneck when the metabolism of one species starts to decline. In addition, environmental changes, such as a change in temperature, nutrient availability, inhibitor accumulation, pH, etc., that stimulate the participation of one species in the metabolic process may hurt participation by others. When fewer species are used, there's an increased chance for the successful and prolonged stimulation of methane or hydrogen formation in subsurface formations.

Embodiments of the invention include a consortium of isolated microorganisms that may require two species to metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate like oil into biogenic gases like methane or hydrogen. One member of this consortium is T. phaeum and a second member may be a methanogen such as a Methanobacteriales, Methanomircobacteria, Methanopyrales, Methanococcales, Methanosaeta, etc. The consortium may also include additional microorganism species that provide additional metabolic pathways to the final products. For example, the consortium may include multiple species of methanogens: One species can convert the acetate produced by T. phaeum directly into methane and carbon dioxide though an acetate fermentation process. Another species can combine the carbon dioxide with hydrogen to produce methane and water via a carbonate reduction. Additional details on the role of T. phaeum in metabolic processes to convert a complex hydrocarbon substrate to materials with an enhanced hydrogen content will now be described.

Biogenic Processes of Making Materials with Enhanced Hydrogen Content

FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic of a three-stage anaerobic conversion of a complex hydrocarbon substrate to a material with an enhanced hydrogen content. Additional details about three stage metabolic processes may be found in co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/099,881, titled “GENERATION OF MATERIALS WITH ENHANCED HYDROGEN CONTENT FROM ANAEROBIC MICROBIAL CONSORTIA”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/099,880, titled “GENERATION OF MATERIALS WITH ENHANCED HYDROGEN CONTENT FROM MICROBIAL CONSORTIA INCLUDING THERMOTOGA,” of which the entire contents of both applications is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIG. 1 shows the conversion starting with a complex hydrocarbon substrate 102 being metabolized into smaller hydrocarbon products. The complex hydrocarbon substrate may be oil, coal, coke, kerogen, anthracite, coal tar, bitumen, lignite, peat, carbonaceous shale, and sediments rich in organic matter, among other kinds of carbonaceous material. The substrate may also be organic polymers and polyaromatics.

A “first bite” microorganism metabolizes at least a portion of the substrate into smaller organic compounds 104. The metabolic reaction may involve the hydrolytic fermentation of the organic substrate into smaller-sized organic metabolites. These metabolites may be converted by additional anaerobic microorganisms to even smaller-sized molecules, including carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, sulfides, and acetate 108.

In the final stages, methanogens may convert the acetate (or hydrogen and carbon dioxide 106) into methane 110. Methanogen metabolism of acetate may involve an acetate fermentation process that may be represented by the chemical reaction formula:

CH₃COO⁻+H⁺→CH₄+CO₂

The methanogen metabolism of hydrogen and carbon dioxide may involve a carbonate reduction process that may be represented by the chemical formula:

CO₂+4H₂→CH₄+2H₂O

A single species of methanogen in the consortium may be able to perform both processes, depending on the concentration of acetate, hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the reaction environment. Alternatively, multiple species of methanogens may be present in the consortium, some doing acetate fermentation and some doing carbonate reduction.

In embodiments of the present invention, the “first bite” of the hydrocarbon substrate and the metabolism of the smaller hydrocarbon product are catalyzed by a single microorganism. T. phaeum has been identified as taking a complex hydrocarbon substrate such as crude oil and metabolizing at least a portion of it into acetate. A second consortium member, a methanogen such as Methanosarcina thermophila, may metabolize the acetate into methane. Thus, a consortium with just two species of microorganisms, one of which is T. phaeum, may be used to metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate into methane.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, steps in methods of isolating T. phaeum and preparing a consortium that includes the microorganism according to embodiments of the invention is described. The method includes extracting samples from a formation site 202 that contain a native consortium of microorganisms. The samples may be taken from solid substrate and/or formation water at the site. When consortium microorganisms include obligate anaerobes, additional steps may be taken to isolate the samples in a low oxygen environment. These steps may include sealing the sample in a container that has been purged of air and filled with an atmosphere of nitrogen, helium, argon, etc. The containers may remained sealed until being opened in an anaerobic glove box for further processing and study.

The formation site samples may be transported to a preparation site, such as a laboratory, so the T. phaeum in the native consortium can be isolated 204. This may include filtering samples of native formation water to concentrate the microorganisms in the sample. For example, a sample of native formation water may be centrifuged through a filter having pores that are small enough to trap most microorganism consortium members on the filter. A portion of the filtered formation water may be added back to the filtrate to create a concentrated suspension of the native consortium.

The samples may be autoclaved to kill or inactivate native microorganisms other than T. phaeum. For example, autoclaving a sample of formation water at 120° C. for about 20 minutes has been shown to inactivate methanogens in a T. phaeum consortium. The autoclaving process may include two, three, or more autoclaving cycles where the sample is repeatedly raised to the peak autoclaving temperature before being lowered back down to room temperature. The T. phaeum itself survives the autoclaving to give an autoclaved sample product of isolated T. phaeum.

The consortium that includes the T. phaeum isolate may be combined with one or more additional microorganic consortia 206 to create the isolated microbial consortium that can metabolize complex hydrocarbon substrates to materials with enhanced hydrogen content, such as methane and hydrogen. These additional microorganisms may include Thermotogas like Thermotoga hypogea. Other microorganisms that may be included in the isolate may be from genera including Gelria, Clostridia, Moorella, Thermoacetogenium, Pseudomonas, and/or Methanobacter, among others.

Amendments may also be added to the isolated consortium that stimulate the metabolism of the hydrocarbon substrates. The amendments may include the addition of minerals, metals, and/or vitamins (“MMV”) to the isolate 208. Examples of mineral amendments may include the addition of chloride, ammonium, phosphate, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and/or calcium to the isolate, among other kinds of minerals. Metal amendments may include the addition of manganese, iron, cobalt, zinc, copper, nickel, selenate, tungstenate, and/or molybdate to the isolate, among other kinds of metals. Vitamin amendments may include the addition of pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, thioctic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, nicotinic acid, vitamin B12, 2-mercaptoehanesulfonic acid, biotin, and/or folic acid, among other vitamins. The addition of these amendments may involve adding mineral salts, metal salts, and vitamins directly to the isolate, or first preparing a solution of the salts and vitamins that then gets added to the isolate. The concentration of the MMV amendment may depend on the concentration and composition of an isolated consortium. Examples of concentration ranges for amendment components may include about 1 mg/L to about 500 mg/L for mineral amendment; about 10 μg/L to about 2000 μg/L for a metal amendment; and about 1 μg/L to about 100 μg/L for a vitamin amendment.

Other amendments may be made to the isolated consortium 210. For example, yeast extract may be added to the isolates, and the pH and/or temperature of the isolates environment may be adjusted.

FIG. 2B shows another flowchart that includes steps in a method of isolating T. phaeum and making a consortium according to embodiments of the invention. The method includes extracting formation water 220 that includes T. phaeum and other microorganism species. The formation water is heated 222 to a temperature that neutralizes (e.g., kills) microorganisms in the water other than T. phaeum. The heating 222 may cause the T. phaeum to form spores that can survive larger variations in environmental conditions than active T. phaeum.

Heating the formation water 222 may create an isolate or concentrate of T. phaeum by neutralizing the other microorganisms present. Additional isolation steps may also be done to further concentrate and/or purify the T. phaeum, such as filtering the T. phaeum from other components in the water. The T. phaeum may then be cultivated 224 to increase the amount of microorganism that gets introduced to the hydrocarbon formation. Cultivation may include germinating T. phaeum spores into active microorganisms that can grow in a nutrient rich environment that stimulates population growth. The environment may also include hydrocarbon substrates that are taken from the formation where the T. phaeum will be introduced. Cultivating the T. phaeum on the same substrate may bias growth towards those the members of the T. phaeum population that are most efficient at utilizing the substrate as a nutrient source.

The cultivated T. phaeum may be forced into a dormant phase (i.e., spores) before being stored and/or transported to an introduction site. Spore formation may be accomplished by heating the T. phaeum and/or removing at least some of the water from the micoorganism's surrounding environment. The T. phaeum spores can withstand larger variations in environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, hydration, nutrient concentrations, pH, salinity, etc.) than the active microorganisms, making them easier to store and transport.

A consortium that includes the cultivated T. phaeum may be combined with additional consortia of microorganisms 226 to form a consortium of microorganisms that includes T. phaeum. The additional consortia may include one or more methanogenic microorganism species (e.g., Methanosarcina thermophila and Methanosaeta thermophila, etc.).

The combination of the T. phaeum consortium with additional consortia may take place before or after the T. phaeum is stored and transported to the formation site where the consortium is introduced 228. The T. phaeum consortium may also be combined with the additional consortia in situ in the hydrocarbon formation. For example, a T. phaeum consortium and one or more additional consortia may be introduced to the formation in different injection steps and afterwards combine into the final microorganic consortium.

The T. phaeum may be introduced to the hydrocarbon formation 228 as active microorganisms or as spores that can germinate in situ in the formation environment. The introduction may also include a nutrient amendment that depends on whether the active microorganisms or the spores are being introduced into the hydrocarbon formation. The temperature, pH, salinity, and other environmental parameters of the T. phaeum consortium may also depend on whether the T. phaeum is introduced as active microorganisms or spores.

Referring now to FIG. 3, steps in a method of in situ stimulation of biological activity of T. phaeum in a geologic formation according to embodiments of the invention are shown. The method may include detecting the T. phaeum in the formation 302. Detection may be done by extracting a sample from the formation and bringing it to a lab to test for a genetic match, or conducting tests at the formation site. The method may also include measuring environmental characteristics in the formation 304. These may include temperature, pH, Eh, salinity, atmospheric composition, mineralogy, alkalinity, and concentrations of nutrients, vitamins, inorganic elements, terminal electron acceptors, and substances that are known to be toxic to T. phaeum, among other characteristics of the formation environment.

The method may also include the determination of the composition of carbonaceous material the T. phaeum may use as a substrate. This determination may include the breakdown of major hydrocarbon constituents of an oil, coal, etc. It may also include an elemental analysis of the amount of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, metals, etc., present in the material.

The data obtained from the measurements of the environmental characteristics of the formation 304 and composition of the carbonaceous material 306 provides information about the types of amendments that are most likely to stimulate in situ biological activity of the T. phaeum in the formation. The biological activity may include increased population growth of T. phaeum relative to other microorganisms in the native microorganism consortium of the formation. It may also include stimulating the rate of metabolic activity of the T. phaeum in the formation.

An amendment with a high probability of stimulating biological activity may be added to the formation 308. These amendments may include adding a T. phaeum growth stimulant, such as a pyruvate (e.g., sodium pyruvate), to the formation. Amendments may also include adding a compound that is a known nutrient for T. phaeum. These may include alkyl alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, etc. They may also include diols, such as 2,3,-butanediol, as well as other hydrocarbons such as ethanolamine, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate, syringate, vanillate, glyine, cysteine, and formate. They may further include hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Amendments may also include the addition of more water to the formation environment to lower the salinity or to spread the in situ T. phaeum over a larger region of the carbonaceous material. They may also include localized increases in the temperature of the formation environment.

The method may also include measuring the rate of biogenic gas production 310 after the amendment is added to the formation. These measurements may involve measuring changes in total gas pressure in the formation, or changes in the partial pressure of a particular gas, such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc. An increase in the presence of a desired product, such as hydrogen and/or methane may indicate that the degree to which the amendment is stimulating biological activity of the T. phaeum. These data may be used to determine if additional amendments should be made to the formation to further stimulate the T. phaeum.

DEFINITIONS

The consortium of microorganisms and methods of using them to make biogenic materials with enhanced carbon content described here straddle the arts of microbiology, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and oil and gas recovery, among others. Consequently, some of the terms used here may have slightly different meanings in the different arts. Therefore some definitions are provided to clarify the meaning of some terms used to describe the present invention.

“Microorganism,” as used here, includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, yeasts, and molds. Sometimes a microorganism can have defining characteristics from more than one class, such as a combination of bacteria and fungi. The term microorganism as used here also encompasses these hybrid classes of organisms.

“Anaerobic microorganisms,” as used here, refers to microorganisms that can live and grow in an atmosphere having less free oxygen than tropospheric air (i.e., less than about 18%, by mol., of free oxygen). Anaerobic microorganisms include organisms that can function in atmospheres where the free oxygen concentration is less than about 10% by mol., or less than about 5% by mol., or less than about 2% by mol., or less than about 0.5% by mol.

“Facultative anaerobes,” as used here, refer to microorganisms that can metabolize or grow in environments with either high or low concentrations of free oxygen.

“Methanogen,” as used here, refers to obligate and facultative anaerobic microorganisms that produce methane from a metabolic process. Two metabolic pathways commonly seen in methanogens are acetate fermentation, where acetate and a hydrogen ion are metabolized into methane and carbon dioxide, and carbonate reduction, where carbon dioxide and molecular hydrogen are metabolized into methane and water. Classes of methanogens include Methanobacteriales, Methanomicrobacteria, Methanopyrales, Methanococcales, and Mathanosaeta (e.g., Mathanosaeta thermophila), among others. Specific examples of methanogens include Thermotoga hypogea, Thermotoga lettingae, Thermotoga subterranean, Thermotoga elfii, Thermotoga martima, Thermotoga neapolitana, Thermotoga thernarum, and Thermotoga petrophila, Methanobacter thermoautotorophicus, Methanobacter wolfeii. Methanogens may also produce methane through metabolic conversion of alcohols (e.g., methanol), amines (e.g., methylamines), thiols (e.g., methanethiol), and/or sulfides (e.g., dimethyl sulfide). Examples of these methanogens include methanogens from the genera Methanosarcina (e.g., Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanosarcina thermophila, Methanosarcina siciliae, Methanosarcina acidovorans, Methanosarcina mazeii, Methanosarcina frisius); Methanolobus (e.g., Methanolobus bombavensis, Methanolobus tindarius, Methanolobus vulcani, Methanolobus taylorii, Methanolobus oregonensis); Methanohalophilus (e.g., Methanohalophilus mahii, Methanohalophilus euhalobius); Methanococcoides (e.g., Methanococcoides methylutens, Methanococcoides burtonii); and/or Methanosalsus (e.g., Methanosalsus zhilinaeae). They may also be methanogens from the genus Methanosphaera (e.g., Methanosphaera stadtmanae and Methanosphaera cuniculi, which are shown to metabolize methanol to methane). They may further be methanogens from the genus Methanomethylovorans (e.g., Methanomethylovorans hollandica, which is shown to metabolize methanol, dimethyl sulfide, methanethiol, monomethylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine into methane).

“Materials with enhanced hydrogen content,” as used here, means organic products that have a higher ratio of C—H to C—C bonds than the organic compounds from which they were derived. These materials will also have a higher mol. % hydrogen than found in the compounds from which they were derived. For example, acetic acid has the chemical formula CH₃COOH, representing 2 carbon atoms, 2 oxygen atoms, and 4 hydrogen atoms, to give a total of 8 atoms. Since 4 of the 8 atoms are hydrogen, the mol. % of hydrogen atoms in acetic acid is: (4 Hydrogen Atoms)/(8 Total Atoms)=0.5, or 50%, by mol. (or on a molar basis). Methane has the chemical formula CH₄, representing 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms, making a total of 5 atoms. The mol. % of hydrogen atoms in methane is (4 Hydrogen Atoms)/(5 Total Atoms)=0.8, or 80%, by mol. Thus, the conversion of acetic acid to methane increases the mol. % of hydrogen atoms from 50% to 80%. In the case of molecular hydrogen, the mol. % of hydrogen atoms is 100%.

“Hydrocarbon,” as used here, means molecules that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms. Optionally, the molecules may also have nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, and/or oxygen atoms, among other atomic species.

“Complex Hydrocarbon Substrates,” as used here, include compounds found in geologic deposits of carbonaceous material. These may include coal, oil, kerogen, peat, lignite, oil shale, tar sands, bitumen, and tar.

EXPERIMENTAL

During a course of experiments to characterize metabolic activity of a native microorganism consortium, a surprising result was observed. FIG. 4A charts the robust production of acetate that was measured from several control samples of native formation water and oil that was autoclaved to kill the microorganisms. FIG. 4B shows that non-autoclaved oil and water incubations did not generate acetate concentrations as high as the autoclaved incubations. At first, the presumption was that acetic acid present in the oil was escaping into the formation water of the sample bottles. But testing revealed almost no acetate was present in the samples. Thus, an abiotic source for the observed acetate production seemed unlikely.

Additional examination of the autoclaved formation water samples was done, including filtration of the formation water and examination of the filtered cells with phase-contrast microscopy. Rod-shaped microorganisms were observed in the autoclaved formation water, suggesting at least one species was able to survive the autoclaving conditions.

But apparently not all the species in the native consortium survived autoclaving. Methanogenesis was observed in the non-autoclaved samples and produced much less acetate than the autoclaved samples (see FIG. 5). This suggested that the methane producing microorganisms were acetate utilizing methanogens that metabolized the acetate into methane. It also suggested that autoclaving was effective at killing the methanogens, but not the acetate generating species.

A Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis of the 16S rDNA was run to identify the species that survived the autoclaving and produced the acetate. The TRFLP analyses of the autoclaved samples that produced acetate showed only one significant band. Sequencing of this 16S rDNA band revealed that it was the 16S rDNA gene of Thermacetogenium phaeum (T. phaeum). This suggested T. phaeum was the sole active microbial species in the autoclaved sample.

This conclusion is somewhat surprising because it suggests a single species can metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate to acetate. It's also one of the few instances where a “first bite” anaerobic microorganism that is responsible for the initial metabolism of a complex hydrocarbon substrate (in this case crude oil) under methanogenic conditions (e.g., in the absence of electron acceptors including nitrate and sulfate) has been positively identified. The implication of this discovery is that a consortium of just two species of microorganisms can be constructed that can metabolize complex hydrocarbon substrates into methane. If only two species are necessary to do this, amendments can be developed to maximize the metabolic activity of the target species(s) without as much concern about their collateral effects on other species. Furthermore, since the role of the methanogen can be played by a variety of species, a single methanogen species (or group of species) can be selected that has the highest productivity when paired with T. phaeum.

Additional details of the experiments that lead to the discovery of T. phaeum as a first bite anaerobic microorganism are now described.

Testing Procedures Used with Formation Water Samples

Microbial Activity Experiments: Triplicate experimental incubations were prepared by adding ten ml of produced water collected from eleven oil-water separators and from a producing well (Nine Mile 4-6 wellhead) to 30 ml serum bottles while working in an anaerobic glove bag. 0.1 ml of oil from the respective sampling locations was added to the incubations. The headspace of the incubations was replaced with N₂/CO₂ (95/5).

Nutrient supplemented incubations received solutions of minerals, metals, vitamins, and yeast extract (“MMVYE”) according to Table 1:

TABLE 1 Composition of the MMVYE Nutritional Supplement Amendment Concentration Mineral Salts Mineral Salt Concentration in mg/L Chloride 443 Ammonium 111 Phosphate 23.5 Sodium 103 Magnesium 9.9 Potassium 17.3 Calcium 3.6 Metals Metal Concentrations in μg/L Manganese 1600 Iron 570 Cobalt 250 Zinc 230 Copper 40 Nickel 20 Selenate 80 Tungsten 70 Molybdate 66 Vitamins Vitamin Concentrations in μg/L Pyridoxine HCL 40 Thiamine 20 Riboflavin 20 Calcium pantothenate 20 Thioctic acid 20 p-aminobenzoic acid 20 Nicotinic acid 20 Vitamin B12 20 2-mercaptoehanesulfonic acid 8 Biotin 8 Folic acid 8

Autoclaved control samples of formation water and oil were produced by autoclaving on three successive cycles of raised temperature and pressure. For each cycle the formation water sample was heated to 120° C. for 20 minutes under a pressure of 15 psi.

Methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen were quantified in the headspace of the incubations by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (“GC-FID”). Organic acids in the fluid samples post-incubation were also quantified with GC-FID.

Quantification of Acetate in Oils: Five gram samples of several oils (Nine Mile 4-6 well head, Nine Mile 10-7, Monument Butte 12-35, Ashley 12-11, and Gilsonite 6-32) were added to serum bottles while working inside an anaerobic glove bag. The headspace was then exchanged with helium. The samples were brought to 60° C., and 10 ml of anoxic HPLC water was injected into the samples. The samples were shaken vigorously with a vortex placed inside the 60° C. incubator for thirty minutes. An aqueous sample was then obtained and analyzed for organic acids by gas chromatography.

Microscopic examination of microorganisms in the samples was done by recovering 0.4 ml of liquid from experimental bottles MBP-01 NE 100 (H₂+Min+Met+Vit+YE) and MBP-01 NE 092 (Sterile control) and centrifuging them through a sterile 0.2 um filter at 5000 rpm. 40 ul of supernatant was added back to the filter to suspend the cells. 20 μl of the concentrated cell suspensions was used for direct microscopic examination for microbial cells via phase-contrast microscopy. The remaining 20 μl was used to prepare a gram stain for microscopic examination via light microscopy.

TRFLP analysis of the samples was done by isolating a DNA fraction from microorganism cultures derived from each sample. Approximately 50 ng of consortium DNA was used in PCR reactions containing primers 519F (sequence 5′-CAGCMGCCGCGGTAATWC-3′) and infrared-labeled (IR)1406R (sequence 5′-ACGGGCGGTGWGTRCAA-3′). The 891 base pair product was gel purified and digested with the restriction enzyme Hha I. Digestion products were desalted, concentrated to 10 μl in a speedvac, and 4 μl was electrophoresed on an 8% polyacrylamide gel using the Li-Cor 4300 genetic analyzer. After PCR amplification the light exposure was minimized to avoid photobleaching the infrared label. After 30 minutes of electrophoresis predominant IR labeled bands were excised from the gel using the Li-Cor Odyssey and purified with the Qiaex II gel purification kit (Qiagen). An 18 base double-stranded linker (SL1 and SL1 complement) was ligated to the non-labeled end of the oligonucleotide, and DNA fragments were re-amplified using standard PCR techniques with primers SL1 and 1406R. PCR products were gel purified, and cloned using the Invitrogen TOPO TA cloning kit. Clones were sequenced using an IR-labeled 1492 primer and the SequiTherm EXCEL™ II DNA Sequencing Kit (Epicentre).

Experimental Results

FIG. 4A plots the accumulation of acetic acid (i.e., acetate) in the formation water oil-water incubations established with samples from the MB 12-35 production well. FIG. 4B plots methane for the same incubations. Significant accumulation of acetic acid was observed in MB 12-35 oil water incubations that were autoclaved. Methane was not produced in these autoclaved incubations. In contrast to the autoclaved oil-water incubations only slight acetate accumulation was observed in the unamended incubations, and the acetate concentration decreased in the nutrient amended incubations (presumably consumed by the methanogens). As FIG. 4B shows, rapid methanogenic activity was detected in MMVYE amended incubations, with greater than 12% methane accumulation prior to the first headspace sampling at 10 days. Methanogenic activity occurred at a slower rate in unamended incubations.

The plots in FIGS. 4A-B indicate that autoclaving was effective at killing methanogens. The accumulation of acetate in the unamended incubations indicates that acetate production outpaced acetate consumption. The addition of MMVYE stimulated acetate conversion to methane relative to the unamended controls suggesting that downstream metabolism, including methanogens, was nutrient limited.

The source of acetic acid production could not have been diffusion from the oil. Water extractable acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, isocaproic acid, hexanoic acid, and heptanoic acid were below detection in all of the tested oil samples including the MB 12-35 oil. Propionic acid was detected at a relatively low concentration (0.28 mM) in the Nine Mile 10-7 oil sample. This argued for either microbial or abiotic generation of acetate in the autoclaved controls.

Formation water in both the MBP-01 MB 12-35 sterile and MBP-01 MB 12-35 hydrogen+Minerals+Metals+Vitamins+YE samples were turbid in appearance and contained numerous microbial cells visualized with the microscope. Significantly higher numbers of microorganisms were observed in the non-autoclaved sample. This suggested that the sterile controls were not sterile at the time the liquid samples were collected for microscopic examination. The finding that acetate but not methane is produced in the sterile controls argues that cross contamination from live to sterile incubations during sampling (via sterile syringes and needles) is not the source of microorganisms in the sterile controls. Cross contamination would also have transferred methanogens resulting in methanogenesis. These results argue for a microbial source of acetate production in these autoclaved incubations although more definitive analyses were conducted for confirmation.

Experimental bottles, including MBP01, NE093 and MBP04NE011, all of which are autoclaved incubations that generated significant acetate, were sampled and analyzed to identify the identity of microorganisms within the aqueous phase. FIG. 5 shows the TRFLP banding patterns for the DNA obtained from several MBP-01 incubations.

Thermacetogenium phaeum was the only microorganism detected in the MB12-35 autoclaved incubations analyzed from independent experiments. In contrast, four different microorganisms, including Thermotoga hypogea were present in live (non-autoclaved) incubations prepared with the MB12-35 production fluid and oil. These results conclusively indicate that Thermacetogenium phaeum (or T. phaeum spores) survived three cycles of autoclaving and that Thermacetogenium phaeum is capable of producing acetate from hydrocarbons contained within the samples.

Acetate production was determined in several autoclaved Monument Butte incubations to further evaluate the significance of the findings with the MB 12-35 sample. FIGS. 6A-B plot the concentration of acetate in autoclaved control samples (FIG. 6A) and unamended, unautoclaved incubations (FIG. 6B). Very significant acetate production was observed in three of the autoclaved samples and at least some acetate accumulated in most of the autoclaved samples. In five of twelve samples, acetate accumulated to a greater extent and at faster rates in autoclaved controls, relative to unamended incubations. Interestingly, included within the group of samples that generated high acetate in sterile controls were all three samples that generated methane to a significantly higher extent (>18.5% headspace methane) in the corresponding unamended controls.

Based on the these results, Thermacetogenium phaeum was identified as the first bite species that metabolized the starting complex hydrocarbon substrate (crude oil) into acetate. Thermacetogenium phaeum is a homoacetogenic bacterium that can grow on various substrates, such as methoxylated aromatics, pyruvate, glycine, cysteine, formate and hydrogen/CO₂ . T. phaeum is a gram-positive, spore-forming, and rod-shaped microorganism growing optimally at 58° C. and pH 6.8. It can also grow on acetate if cocultured with a hydrogen-consuming methanogenic partner, such as Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes a plurality of such processes and reference to “the electrode” includes reference to one or more electrodes and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups. 

1. A method of isolating Thermacetogenium phaeum from a native consortium of microorganisms, the method comprising: removing formation water from an underground formation, wherein the formation water comprises the native consortium that includes the Thermacetogenium phaeum; and heating the formation water to about 120° C. or more, wherein the Thermacetogenium phaeum survives the heating process.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the formation water is heated for about 20 minutes or more.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the formation water is heated at a pressure of about 15 psi or more.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the formation water is heated in three or more successive heating cycles that take the formation water from room temperature to the heating temperature.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the formation water is heated at 120° C. for 20 minutes at 15 psi in three consecutive heating cycles.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the Thermacetogenium phaeum forms spores during the heating process.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the formation water is heated in an atmosphere with substantially no free oxygen.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the atmosphere is nitrogen and carbon dioxide. 